Soft and hard capsules or casings have been employed in the pharmaceutical field to encapsulate a variety of therapeutic and nutritional liquid compositions. Similar technology has been employed in the sports and leisure fields to contain dye formulations within capsules adapted to rupture upon impact with an intended target. Liquid dye compositions encapsulated within gelatin casings, collectively and commonly known as “paint balls,” are designed for use in conjunction with a projectile device, such as a “paint ball gun”. Generally, such dye capsules have the physical properties in which the casing is hard and impact resistant enough to survive high velocity projectile forces, while at the same time adapted to rupture and release the dye composition upon high velocity contact with the target surface. “Paintball” is now a recognized and popular sporting activity, played by thousands of men and women throughout this country, as well as thirty other countries worldwide.
When employed in competitive activities wherein the objective of said activity is to identify the accuracy of marking the intended target, it is desirable to optimize the visual results of a successful contact with the intended target. Dye compositions used in paint balls are available in a wide variety of bright colors. The particular color can be used, for example, to identify the source of the paint ball after firing. In addition to a clearly visible coloration applied to the surface of the target, the effects can also be enhanced by the dispersing or “splatter” capabilities of the dye composition upon rupturing of the casing. These visual objectives must, however, be balanced in conjunction with certain physical parameters, such as cleaning from fabrics, overall weight and the ability for the liquid dye composition to be contained for a prolonged period of time within the casing material without substantive degradation. Furthermore, regulatory concerns must be addressed as well, such as toxicity of ingredients.
Some currently available dye compositions used in paint balls contain a dye in conjunction with hydrophilic carriers containing a mixture of high and low molecular weight polyethylene glycols (PEG). Among the disadvantages associated with currently available dye compositions include tenacious or permanent staining of target fabrics, freezing and solidification of the dye composition during exposure to colder temperatures, and separation and precipitation of dye composition ingredients during storage, and a thin consistency.
At least one attempt at a chemically altered paintball has been made. U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,962 to Stoltz shows a dye composition having an emulsifier and a lipophilic carrier for a paintball. The emulsifier necessarily includes ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides that thicken and concentrate the splatter from a ruptured paintball as shown in the Figures of that patent. While such may be acceptable to accomplish the object of that patent, such deviations from traditional paintball performance are not readily accepted by established players and hence undesirable.
There exists a need in the field of sports and leisure, as well as the zoological field, for improved technology relating to impact-rupturable capsules containing dye formulations that enhance the paintball while maintaining characteristic performance attributes. In particular, there is a need to improve the desirable attributes of impact-rupturable dye capsules by enhancing the properties of the dye formulations within while simultaneously maintaining the expected performance characteristics of the capsule.